Comparison

Complex RPN Calculator vs |RPN| Scientific Calculator

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Complex RPN Calculator

This scientific calculator utilizes a four-level stack and natively handles complex numbers. It allows users to input and view numbers in both polar and rectangular formats, remembering its state and offering 10 memory locations.

Highlights
  • Complex number support
  • Four-level stack
  • Polar and rectangular formats
  • State persistence
  • 10 memory locations
  • Scientific calculations
Features
Read full description

Complex RPN Calculator is a scientific RPN calculator with a four stack whose native number is complex. You can view and enter numbers in both polar and rectangular formats. Complex RPN remembers its state between usages and has 10 memory locations.

About

|RPN| Scientific Calculator

This calculator app uses Reverse Polish Notation for powerful calculations. It offers customizable color schemes, layouts, and online help, designed for flexibility and usability. All features are unlocked with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Reverse Polish Notation (RPN)
  • Viewable stack
  • Selectable portrait/landscape layouts
  • Customizable color schemes
  • Online visual help
  • No ads or in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

|RPN| Scientific Calculator is a calculator which features a variety of color schemes and layouts. It utilizes Reverse Polish Notation, a viewable stack, selectable portrait and landscape layouts, online visual help and many more. The application is meant to be as flexible and powerful as possible, without sacrificing usability. |RPN| does not have ads, and never will, nor does it use in-app purchases. All functionality comes with the purchase. Here is a youtube playlist with some helpful videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLucgGVHO2sKhnnNf1gapHS4Zy7u69VGAs

Screenshots

Complex RPN Calculator4 screens
|RPN| Scientific Calculator2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Complex RPN Calculator at Free against |RPN| Scientific Calculator's $0.99. Complex RPN Calculator also leads on rating (3.9 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (24 vs 3). |RPN| Scientific Calculator's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (60% vs 52%). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Complex RPN Calculator is free to download; |RPN| Scientific Calculator costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Complex RPN Calculator holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Complex RPN Calculator has 24 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Complex RPN Calculator's written reviews are positive against 60% of |RPN| Scientific Calculator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Complex RPN Calculator ships an update every 5 months, |RPN| Scientific Calculator fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Complex RPN Calculator versus |RPN| Scientific Calculator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterComplex RPN Calculator|RPN| Scientific Calculator
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating3.9 (24 ratings) — better2.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews51.7% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.416 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn CoddingtonBradley Smith

Customer experience

Complex RPN Calculator

All ratings22 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive51.7%
Neutral8.0%
Negative40.2%

|RPN| Scientific Calculator

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugs and requests

Complex RPN Calculator

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Mutes other apps when used
  • Slow keyboard response after update
  • X^3 calculation incorrect for large imaginary numbers
  • App crashes on opening/button press (historical iOS 9 issues)
  • App starts upside down in landscape on iPad (historical iOS 8 issue)
Show 1 more
  • Unreadable fonts on iPad (historical version 1.2 issue)

Requested features

24 requests
  • Turn off key click sound
  • Customize number display
  • See the stack
  • Fix slow entry response
  • Fix imaginary number calculation (X^3)
Show 19 more
  • Improve SwiftUI design (less whitespace)
  • Show all stack levels
  • Add angle function
  • Add magnitude function
  • Add 'Clear X' button
  • Make RAD/DEG toggle button
  • Single button for Sci/Eng/Fix/Raw modes
  • Add '//' (parallel) function
  • Add 'Module' button
  • Change 'i' to 'j' for imaginary part
  • Show stack levels
  • Add log2 function
  • Add logGamma function
  • Smaller buttons
  • Add complex conjugate button
  • Add real part button
  • Add imaginary part button
  • Add modulo function
  • Make app start faster

|RPN| Scientific Calculator

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Complex RPN Calculator

No in-app purchases

None

|RPN| Scientific Calculator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Complex RPN Calculator free?
Complex RPN Calculator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is |RPN| Scientific Calculator free?
|RPN| Scientific Calculator costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Complex RPN Calculator or |RPN| Scientific Calculator?
Complex RPN Calculator is rated higher. Complex RPN Calculator averages 3.9 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while |RPN| Scientific Calculator averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Complex RPN Calculator or |RPN| Scientific Calculator have ads?
Neither Complex RPN Calculator nor |RPN| Scientific Calculator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Complex RPN Calculator or |RPN| Scientific Calculator?
Complex RPN Calculator ships an update every 5 months, and |RPN| Scientific Calculator fortnightly. Most recently, Complex RPN Calculator was updated on October 31, 2026 and |RPN| Scientific Calculator on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons